


to stay in the light

by ang3lba3



Category: Homestuck
Genre: (because they're only referenced), Alternate Universe - Royalty, Cultural Differences, Cunnilingus, Exhibitionism, F/M, Femdom, Karkat calls Mindfang a bitch at one point?, Mildly Dubious Consent, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Power Imbalance, Public Sex, Sexual Slavery, brief discussion of how this is Rose's Femdom awakening
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-20 06:02:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20223010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ang3lba3/pseuds/ang3lba3
Summary: Two planets, stuck in perpetual orbit, connected by a Bridge that drives most who cross it to madness. Two planets, attempting a treaty, preparing gifts with little more knowledge of each other's culture than exaggerated rumor.One Seer, responsible for the fate of her planet. And in this case, responsible for not offending the Empress by rejecting her very thoughtful gift or implying that fucking in front of one's court and co-ruler is unseemly.





	to stay in the light

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Regina_Writes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Regina_Writes/gifts).

> hey giftee!!! I hope you like this. I worked really hard on it - I must have rewritten it four times to pull useless angst and plot out and get to the porn faster...which means it's a bit shorter than it could be, but every time I tried to put it in I would have needed 10k more of character development before they could fuck. (It's a real failing on my part, honestly.)

There live two planets, trapped in perpetual orbit of each other. They circle one another warily, two predators in the first tentative steps of a dance. Earth insists that Alternia is a moon, full of hedonistic honorless savages. Alternia calls Earth a moon full of snooty honorless barbarians, sacrilegious worms with no regard for proper succession of blood.

These two planets live trapped in perpetual orbit of each other, a land bridge connecting them that will take you through the stars. If you walk it you will not be able to breathe, but you will not need to. If you walk it you might come through changed, the dark glimmer of stars forever etched into your skin, your language one that none but the star touched can speak.

Not many walk it.

Maybe that is why they think they know so much about each other, despite knowing barely anything at all.

\--

A Seer might be far from common, but she still has a modicum of common fucking sense.

"And what is this?" Rose asks, gesturing at the troll before her throne. He’s wearing an Empress’ ransom in gold and rubies, head bowed deferentially although he does not kneel. That rose red blood - it could only be a mutation. To include a mutant in a good will gift… they must be on worse terms than she’d thought.

"Karkat Vantas, the kismesis of her Imperious Condescension," says Ambassador Mindfang, her mouth dripping with more than a little condescension of her own. She’s a terrible thing to look at, although Rose wouldn’t be able to define why. Not everyone who passes the Bridge leaves startouched, but the immunity is rare and impossible to test for. They say the immune aren't changed by the journey, that it leaves them intact.

Mindfang has made the journey a thousand times, and her ancestors done the same before her. Her lineage is impeccable, and only one has been born in a thousand years to the Serket line that hasn't had the immunity. As far as Rose can tell, it’s because they were already born with a bit too much of the stars in them. When she's near the woman there's a skittering spidery sensation in her skull.

Rose looks at the slaves provided as a good will gift behind Vantas. There are 24. Twelve pretty jade blooded things, rare and subservient and adaptable. They press their faces to the floor, prostrate and wanton. Twelve a mix of teal and olive, kneeling respectfully in the manner of gladiators, well formed and muscular.

Then she looks at the Vantas, how he may have his head lowered but he does not kneel. Every single one of those other trolls are above him, caste wise. What the fuck is a kismesis?

"I see," Rose says, wishing she had time to actually see, to learn. She does not see, not really, not why this gilded creature in thin gauzy fabrics is being presented to her as if he’s of noble status alongside a few dozen nobler-blooded slaves. She does see how dismissing him would be an insult to Alternia she cannot afford to make when she's treating for peace. She sees enough, and so she smiles. "You may tell your Empress we are well pleased with her consideration."

She flicks her fingers, a small gesture, almost imperceptible if you were not looking for it. The room becomes a flurry of activity as her own gift is brought forth for the Empress. Neither of them struggle. They are aware of the importance of this moment, as well as the futility of protest. They’d each already made so many, after all.

"Our gifts to Her. An Egbert, and a Crocker. We thought it might be nostalgic," Rose smiles benevolently at the Ambassador. "They bear further gifts of technology and art. Each can walk the Starlit Bridge, no need for induced sleep."

The Ambassador knows that the Crockers and Egberts can walk the Starlight Bridge, of course. Everyone knows that during the Great War they were the most powerful pawns of the Empress. Everyone knows that the survivors were stripped of title and honor and sanity, and their lines rededicated to a much less violent type of service to the Crown.

Rose will miss Jane and John. She knows her brother will too, that the only reason he isn’t on his throne right now is because he’s sulking that she’d give away their favorites. She doesn’t care. She doesn’t know why the Light told her this was the path to take, only that it was insistent. John and Jane have been even less understanding than Dave, but they have far less choice in the matter, and are taking this exile with a dignity that makes her heart twist uncomfortably in her chest.

Mindfang’s eyes widen at the gift, although the question isn’t one that Rose would have anticipated. “Are they… were they your…?”

“Lovers? Yes.” Rose resists the urge to fiddle with her hair. She has to make it clear that this is a great honor, and not sloppy seconds. It’s a delicate balance. “Particular favorites of mine and the Knight’s. We could think of no greater way to demonstrate our intentions than to entrust the Empress with their care.”

“Lovers,” Mindfang repeats, squinting as if the translation is a bit foreign. “Like... love? That's the opposite of hate, right?”

“Yeah, y’know, like hearts? Cuddles and stuff?” John chimes in helpfully, and Rose tries not to look too horrified that he’d speak. He winks at her and blows a kiss. At least Jane looks properly mortified.

“Oh, this is perfect!” Mindfang says admiringly. “The Empress will be more than pleased that you responded in kind, and with such careful respect to her empty quadrant.”

Rose smiles graciously, trying to look very hard like she knew what the fuck Mindfang was talking about, and that she wasn’t just some two bit Seer who could see the best course of action but not understand why until afterwards. “Of course,” she lies through her teeth. “We carefully considered every aspect.”

“Of course,” Mindfang purrs.

—

That night they feast, in celebration of the treaty and the gifts. Rose demands that Dave be present, and when he refuses says that the Light demands it. It does, the world turning dark when she considers not making her Knight attend, but frankly she hadn’t considered very hard. She could use the moral support.

“Why the fuck is there a mutant sitting by us?” Dave hisses at her, a regal expression of boredom barely masking the confusion and panic.

That’s the other reason she needed him here.

“I can’t ask,” she murmurs, daintily swilling her wine.

“Have you tried?”

Rose opens her mouth to do just that, the world barely able to dim before Dave makes an abrupt hand motion.

“Okay, yeah, I feel it. Shit, that’s a bad one.”

The Seer and the Knight are peculiar positions. While they are guaranteed by birth, they’re not guaranteed by noble birth, or by any type of traceable lineage.

The Seer, who can walk the Path of Light. The Seer, who must walk the Path of Light, or be trapped in a dizzying darkness and go mad. The Seer, who walks the Path of Light because it always tells them the right thing to do.

The Knight, who lives to protect the Seer. The Knight, who must protect the Seer, because their life will end when the Seer’s does. The Knight, who protects the Seer because if the Seer falls prematurely so will the Earth.

“Quite,” Rose says. She’s tense, unusually so. Following the Path of Light can make one seem smug, unreasonably self confident. She doesn’t feel it lately. It’s easier to trust the Light when she can at least guess at its motives, at its patterns and reasons, when her natural intelligence can combine with her prescience and give her uncannily accurate readings of others. The world is bright around her but she feels blind - she simply doesn’t know enough about trolls.

“So what’s he good for?” Dave asks loudly, gesturing at Karkat with a drumstick. Rose does her best to look exasperated at his ignorance. It’s not entirely faked, but the room is still bright, so it’s what was supposed to happen. Or close enough.

“Good for, or good at?” Mindfang says, wiggling her eyebrows. She purses her lips then, as if seriously considering it. “The Empress would say good for nothing, and fantastic at-”

Her eyes turn sly behind her shaded glasses, and she shrugs. “Well…actually… Karkat, darling- why don’t you show them?”

“I’m not your fucking darling, you psychotic bitch,” Karkat growls, and then he’s standing from his chair at Rose’s left and settling to his knees expectantly in front of her. His face is… close. “Your Sightliness.”

“Her what?” Dave chokes out through a suppressed laugh. It's a bit reassuring that Karkat is at least as ignorant of them if he thinks you refer to the Seer of Earth as... your Sightliness.

“Fuck you,” Karkat snarls, and reaches a hand towards Rose’s skirt. He lets his hand play with the rich yellow silk, and Rose’s breathing speeds a bit.

It is…abruptly clear what kismesis means. Or clear enough, anyways. The favored bedslave of the Empress, on a planet where they have few compunctions about hiding their hedonism. He’s dismissive towards Mindfang and her high status, so it cannot be that he feels merely compelled to service her like this out of fear of reprisal. He’d come here expecting it.

This is what she was sending Jane and John to.

But no, there wasn’t time for that. His hand stayed in her hem, but his face is expectant. Waiting. Mindfang’s smirk displays an entirely different type of expectancy, voyeurism for the exotic and forbidden. Presumably the exotic and forbidden being what's under a human woman's skirts, not the exhibitionism - it's rather commonplace on Alternia, although until this moment she'd dismissed that as rumors.

She doesn’t even think of saying no, not with the world so bright and Dave a steady presence at her side.

“I’m afraid if you’re expecting a bulge you’ll be disappointed,” Rose hears herself say. She tilts her hips towards the edge of the throne, spreading her legs. If she’d been expecting a feeling, it would have been that sick thrill of shame that has so far accompanied most times she’s spread her legs for men. The feeling that she’s giving something up, allowing a trespass, entrusting a secret. Its own kind of thrill, surely, but not-

It does not feel like that. It feels... 

“Rose,” Dave groans, covering his face. That’s the end of his protest though, and Rose could not give less of a shit. They’ve murdered to stay in the Light. This is negligible.

And she kind of wants to. There's something about him on his knees and her fully clothed on her throne, the fact that she can do whatever she wants right now because the Light demands this, that none could dare judge her. That he came to her, rather than Dave, to prove his worth.

“I’m sure I have no expectations you cannot exceed,” Karkat says smoothly.

The court has noticed by now that something is happening at the thrones, but they continue to go through the motions. Refuse to pay more or less attention than they normally would, bright eyes fixed on their dining partners. They trust in their Seer.

“Clever enough with your tongue in one way,” Rose bunches up the skirts a bit, just a bit, a signal. “Care to show me any others?”

“Hint taken,” Karkat says, and ducks under her skirts.

Rose stares up at the ceiling, her heart pounding, her breathing shallow and desperate. She can feel her pulse in her throat, her temples, her stomach, her clit. Her entire body feels alive and on the edge of death at the same time. Karkat presses his lips to her thigh, confusing and considerate and soft, hidden under the layers of silk.

Fuck soft. He’s the slave, he’s the one on his knees, and he’s the one who should be nervous.

Rose flips her skirt up, exposing him to the court. He freezes up, and she rolls her eyes, fisting her hand in his hair and pressing him down. He moves his lips, maybe to protest, maybe to say - anything - she’s not sure. It feels good enough that she shivers, her entire body strung tight with adrenaline that translates so easily to arousal.

“Seems more good for nothing,” she comments to Mindfang, half out of her mind at her own daring. The ensuing laughter is enough to make Karkat begin moving.

She immediately wishes that she hadn’t taunted him._ Hubris, thy name is Lalonde,_ she thinks feverishly.

His tongue isn’t human. That’s evident immediately, the heat and the dexterity and the length. Bright spots of light dance in front of her eyes, and it’s legitimately difficult to tell if it’s because this was fated or if her blood pressure is just spiking dangerously. She feels like it must be, her heart beating against the walls of her flesh like a trapped thing.

“About the tariffs,” Mindfang says, and some part of Rose acknowledges with deep despair that she’s about to have to make policy decisions with a troll’s tongue so far up her cunt he’s practically kissing her.

“What about them?” Dave says. His voice is slightly strained, but at least he can protect Earth from whatever kind of trade deals Rose would make mid-cunnilingus. “I mean, it’s not as if we have a whole shit ton of imports at the moment anyways, what with the Bridge.”

“Ah, but that was before you gifted two Walkers to her Condescension.” Mindfang takes a sip of her mulled wine. “The gift is quite rare among trolls, as you know, and even rarer in those who would deign to peddle goods. But with two slaves, I dare say that real possibilities have opened up.”

Their jewelry really was quite fine, Rose could admit. The golden adornments threaded through Karkat’s hair were finely carved, the red gems catching the light and the eye. He does something equally exquisite, a kind of - twist and - purr -

“Fuck,” Rose whimpers, crushing her thighs around his ears as she shakes. Dave and Mindfang are still talking, tossing figures through the air. Karkat licks her through it, not stopping until she kicks his side feebly.

She’s not sure what she expects to see when he pulls back. Smugness? Arrogance? Entitlement? The knowledge that he took unbelievable liberties in an unbelievably public manner? The sass and defiance he’d shown earlier, so unbecoming of a slave?

She sees none of that.

His eyes are wide, dazed, focused solely on her in a pleading manner she doesn’t quite know how to handle. Most of his face is slick with her cum, but he doesn’t wipe it away, not even with his tongue. Rose realizes that she’d read him wrong, earlier, when she’d assumed he froze - he hadn’t. He’d gone pliant, bendable.

Rose swallows hard. Her legs are still giving little electric pulses with the aftershocks, but her stomach is tight and hot at the thought of his willing obedience to her authority.

The world doesn’t go dark when she opens her mouth to speak, but neither does it brighten. She’s satisfied the Light. She doesn’t have to.

She does anyways.

“Again,” she says.

Karkat moves back with an eagerness that suggests she’s the one doing him a favor, that little purr vibrating through her already sensitive skin until she thinks her soul might vibrate out. She doesn’t look down at him, instead looking up and over her court.

They’re still pretending that nothing unusual is happening, their crimson cheeks and stuttered conversation not lending well to the illusion. Several nobles shift in their seats uncomfortably, swallowing more than is necessary to eat their meals, obviously affected. Rose doesn’t bother to hold Karkat in place with hands or legs this time, opting for gripping a goblet of wine loosely in her right and spreading her legs. The slurping is loud in a hall designed to amplify sound, full of those far too proper to ever slurp.

It’s good to be Queen.

**Author's Note:**

> Rose: Oh wow, hope this doesn't awaken anything in me.
> 
> Additional notes: so Karkat was sent basically as an arranged marriage, but i picture Alternia as very much so like Laurent's courts, where this kind of behavior is barely noteworthy. In fact, Mindfang and Karkat were supposed to ensure sexual compatibility before stranding him there! And of course, coming from Alternia, Karkat assumes that Rose is the head ruler and who he has to please most. Her being the only one present to accept the gifts didn't help dissuade that. 
> 
> It probably takes like 5 months before he realizes Dave and Rose are of essentially equal status, and he should be treating Dave with as much deference as he does Rose and maybe call him an asshole less. Dave is offended and confused, and Rose thinks its hilarious.
> 
> find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/cryingiscooltm)


End file.
